Maze-lock



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEiOE.

THOS. NICHOLSON, OF FALMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

MAzE-Loon.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,396, dated September 30, 1851.

To aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS NICHOLSON, of Falmouth, in the county of Staord, in the State of Virginia, have invented :r new and Improved Lock for Doors, Safes, fzc., which I call the Oonfidence-Locl-:: :ind I do hereby declare that the following iz-` a full and exact. description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l,is a view of the outer plate of the lock; Fig. 2, view of the main portion of the lock, the removable cover being taken away; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section in the line fe, of Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4, detached portions of the lock.

Like parts are designated by like letters in the several figures.

My lock consists of two principal parts, viz., the outer plate A, placed on lthe outside of the door E; and the lock proper B. on the inside of the door immediat-ely opposite the plate A. The two parts are united together by bolts u, u, &c., countersunk in the outer plate A, and fastened by nuts and screws on the inside of the door. The two portions A, B, communicate with one another only by the revolving bolts cab, o, which are the only means of locking and unlocking, a key and key-hole being entirely dispensed with.

The plate A, is made of hardened steel or case-hardened iron; and, having no accessible apertures, at the same time protecting the portion of the door E, occupied by the lock B, inside, it effectually secures the lock from the effects of violence. T he said bolts a, Z), o, project outward sufficiently to be grasped by the ngers when they are to be used. The inner ends are connected with the several portions of the lock to be moved in locking and unlocking as hereinafter described.

The lock proper B, is entirely incased in metallic sides, of which the inner side O, is removable at pleasure from the inside of the door, to enable access to be had to the inside of the lock when desired. The spring s, and guide g, are attached to this removable side or cover.

The fastening bolt eZ, is moved by being geared to a small cog-Wheel e, attached to, and turning with, the revolving bolt o. It is kept from moving sidewise by the guides f, g, and vheld down by the spring s. Its inner end o, bends down at right angles to itself, and is shaped into any desired form.

A disk D, is attached to the inner end of the revolving bolt a, secured upon it by having a square aperture fitting accurately over the bolt formed, at this end, into a sims ilar size and shape, and is held thereon by a' spring-key Q. Said disk has a number of concentric ledges 7L, Zz, &c., rising perpendicularly from its face, the outer ledges corresponding with the periphery ofthe disk, and the others within being at equal distances each from another, and sufficient to admit the end 0, of the fastening bolt cZ, therein. Through one side of said ledges and in the sameeradial line are formed openings j, j, &c., equal in extent to the width of said boltend o. A spring 7c, is fitted into the bottom of the passage formed by said openings, making an inclined plane so that the bolt may slide from center to circumference but not back again. In the spaces between the said ledges, stops Z, Z, &c., are inserted on both sides of the passage formed by the openings j, j, &c., and at such other intervals as may be desired, in order to render the maze thus formed as intricate as possible.

`In to some of the divisions thus produced false communications n, n, &c., may lead, in order to mislead and confuse any one who may improperly attempt to open the lock. Into oth-er divisions true communications mi, im, &c., conduct, having a shape andsize exactly corresponding with the bolt-end 0. and at dilferent heights from the surface of the disk. Several disks differing in arrangement may be provided for each lock.

A number of screws fyi, y2, &c., exchange able at pleasure are provided, and fit into a female screw in the inner end of the bolt Z9. Their heads are square, and slide within a guide p, which prevents their turning and thereby causes them to rise and sink on turning the bolt Z). The screws are immediately under the fastening bolt (Z, and by rising and sinking regulate the bolt (Z, to the height desired to enable the bolt-end 0, to enter the several communications m, m, &c. They are all of different lengths and consequently require each a different amount of movement to accomplish the same purpose.

Ihen unlocked, the bolt-end o, is in the inner space 5; and to lock again it is only necessary to turn the disk I), around till the bolt-end 0, comes opposite the openings y', j, &c., when the fastening bolt cZ, is to be drawn out by turning the bolt c. As soon as it is drawn completely out it passes the spring communications m, m, &c., admit the boltend only at certain determinate heights.

The said false communications n, n, &c., open to spaces having no eXit but the communications which lead to them from the outside of the disk; and consequently the bolt CZ, when once admitted therein, cannot be moved farther in, but must return by the way through which it entered.

It is obvious that to open the lock the eX- act movement of the disk D, and the screw y, must be ascertained previously, by actua-l observation; and that each position of each disk on the bolt a, requires a different movement of the bolt a; and that each screw y', '1/2, &c., requires a different movement of the bolt b for each position of each disk D.

The movements of the bolts a, b, are regulated and determined by arrow-indexes 10,10, on their outer ends, which direct to graduated circles e, e, on the outer plate A; each divided into twelve equal divisions, which are again subdivided into tive minutes each.

The bolt c, is only used for moving the fastening bolt el, and in each case turns as lfar as permitted, in reverse directions according as the fastening bolt d, is to be moved outward or inward. The index and circle for bolt c, are not used, and may be omitted; their only utility being to mislead one unacquainted with the construct-ion of the lock, who should attempt to open it. In using indexes w, fw, either end may be used to designate the movements, and they arek turned right or left according to circumstances to be ascertained in each particular case.

The positions of the disk D, may be changed from time to time. The number of positions of each disk depends o-n the number of sides of the regular polygon which forms its central aperture. In the accompanying model, this aperture being a square, the number of posit-ions is four, marked 1, 2, 3, 4, on the disk and designated by a pointer on the inner end of the bolt a. The screws y, Q/g &c., are also to be eX- changed from time to time as desired, thus forming a new set of combinations with each screw.

In order to open the lock, keys must be prepared before-hand for each permutation formed by changing either disk, position, or screw; to be prepared by actual trial and recording the movements.

In the accompanying model only one disk D, having four positions; and three screws y', jz/g, ,f1/3, are provided, having together twelve permutations each requiring a distinct key. I herewith give the key of one permutation as an example to show the manner of working the lock. The disk D, is supposed to be in the position marked 1, and screw y, employed. The fastening bolt d, is also supposed to be drawn in as when unlocked. The feathered end of the indexes 10, w, are to be employed in directing the movements in this instance :-1st, bolt 03 either way to lmins. before 9; 2nd, bolt to left from eXtreme right three revolutions, and to 3 mins. after l2; 3d, bolt c, to left as far as it will go; 4th, bolt a, to right to 2 mins. after 10; 5th, bolt b, to left to l min. before 8; 6th, bolt c, to left as far as it will go; 7th, bolt a., to right to l min. before 12; 3th, bolt b, to right to 3 mins. after l; 9th, bolt c, to left as far as it will go; 10th, bolt a, to right to 1gmins. before 6; 11th, bolt 5 to right as far as it will go; 12th, bolt c, to left as far as it will go; 13th, bolt a, to left to l?? mins. after 2; 14th, bolt c, to left as far as it will go, when the lock will be found to be unfastened.' To lock again turn bolt a either way to l min. before 8; then turn bolt c, to right as far as it will go. The other permutations have similar movements, and their keys are readily prepared by the owner of the lock.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The disk D, with its concentric and radial passages, or their equivalents, in combination with the bolt-end 0, operated substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein described.

The abo-ve specification of my improved confidence lock for doors, safes, &c., signed by me this day, the 13th of A ugt. 1851.

THOMAS NICHOLSON.

Witnesses It. F. COLEMAN, WM. W. MITCHELL. 

